Moment Australia has been waiting for

A SMILING Hakeem al-Araibi has landed in Melbourne to a welcoming parade of hundreds of supporters.

The refugee footballer and adopted Australian landed at Tullamarine Airport after 1pm on Tuesday.

He appeared to be in good health as crowds cheered his through the gates towards a massive media scrum.

Al-Araibi, 25, spent more than 70 days in a Thai jail after being arrested in Bangkok on November 27.

He had travelled from Melbourne for a honeymoon with his wife when authorities in the Thai capital acted on an Interpol red notice from his former country, Bahrain.

Bahrain sentenced Al-Araibi in absentia to 10 years in prison over an act of vandalism. But Al-Araibi and his supporters say he was not involved - they say he was playing a televised football match at the time the crime was committed.

Craig Foster, the former Australian football captain who spearheaded efforts to free the 25-year-old, said he spoke with Al-Araibi's wife on Tuesday morning about 4am AEDT as the plane took off and the ordeal was officially over.

"We were very nervous and cautious until we got word from the embassy in Bangkok that he had taken off," he said.